After a promising year despite putrid QB play, and a huge gap at the WR position, the Steelers enter a pivotal draft, as they could become a contender with the right picks.
They are without their 1st round pick because of the blockbuster trade they made with the Dolphins to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick, which truly paid off.
I could see the draft playing out many different ways, but this Mock Draft is the most likely scenario of them all.
Beefing up both their Offensive and Defensive lines is the way to go, as well as adding depth at positions where they already have stars at like WR, S, OLB.
The Steelers’ first pick is midway through round two, and the perfect pick is an interior defensive lineman out of Texas A&M by the name of Justin Madubuike.
He is a versatile big man who can play anywhere across the defensive line. He will likely play the 0-technique, or in other words, nose tackle. Also, the Steelers lost NT Javon Hargrave to the Eagles in free agency, so adding a guy like Justin Madubuike will be a great pick at 49.
The next time the Steelers are on the clock is at pick 102, and Safety K’Von Wallace out of Clemson is the pick.
He is a small-statured safety prospect but he makes up for it with his versatility as he can play both strong and free safet,y as well as nickel-cornerback. The Steelers need depth across all these positions, so why not kill three birds with one stone.
The Steelers will be on the clock for the first time in the 4th round, and Bradlee Anae, an edge rusher from Utah, is the best fit.
The Steelers already have their top pass rushers in Bud Dupree and TJ Watt, however, adding a 3rd player to the mix could end up helping out a lot in the long run.
With Bud Dupree only playing on a franchise tag, and TJ Watt’s rookie contract coming to an end, adding a player like Bradlee Anae would be an insurance policy if either of the two decides to part ways with the Steelers.
11 picks later, Ben Bredeson, an offensive guard from Michigan, is the selection.
Bredeson was a four-year starter at Michigan and excelled in his run blocking abilities. He could come in as a starter right away for the Steelers, filling the hole left by retired guard Ramon Foster. I think with that Ben Bredeson could be another Pro-Bowl offensive lineman the Steelers have been looking for.
In the 6th round, the pick is Trey Adams, an offensive tackle from Washington.
Adams is one of those high risk but high reward kind of guys. He has been injured a lot throughout his college career, however, if he can stay healthy he could be a great pick up for the Steelers here in the 6th round. Trey Adams stock fell quite a bit throughout the year but in the 6th round you can’t pass up on him even with all the injuries.
The Steelers will be on the clock for the final time in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the selection is wide receiver Binjimen Victor from Ohio State.
Victor has shown flashes while at Ohio State but he never really got his chance because of all the big talent that played ahead of him. He had some big plays that showed us what he is capable of, so in the 7th round why not take a chance on him. He could come in and be a special teams player or be stashed on the practice squad for a year or two to develop.
Photo: USA Today
